Measuring cap

ABSTRACT

A measuring cap for use on containers is disclosed. This cap has a hollow cap body divided into an entrance chamber and a measuring chamber by an internal wall. A lid is rotatably mounted on the top of the cap body so as to be capable of being rotated between a closed position covering the top of the body and an open position in which the top of the body is uncovered. A valve member is attached to the lid so as to rotate therewith. This valve member is formed so that when the lid is in a closed position, the two chambers are in communication with one another and so that when the lid is in an open position the entrance chamber is covered.

United States Patent 2 22/4s2x 222/451X 222/556X Robert E. Hazard NorthKingston, RJ. Appl. No. 820,896

May 1, 1969 Patented Apr. 20, 1971 Polytop Corporation Slatersville, RJ.

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the lid so as to rotate therewith. This valve member is formed [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,326,253 12/1919 Cordley etal.

so that when the lid is in a closed position, the two chambers are incommunication with one another and so that when the lid is in an openposition the entrance chamber is covered.

PATENIED APRZO I97! a WR N 7 M 1% W 0 IE .7 Z A Z R E M liiko 4\\ w Q vMEASURING CAP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Frequently it is necessary ordesirable to dispense a measured amount of the contents of a container.Many different structures have been developed for this purpose. Acomplete review of such structures is considered unnecessary for anunderstanding of the present invention. It is presently considered thatsuch prior structures are commercially unsatisfactory for any one of avariety of reasons. Among such reasons are cost, complexity,reliability, ease of operation and the like.

Because of the nature of such prior structures for dispensing a measuredamount of the contents of a container it is considered that there is aneed for new and improved measuring caps or closures which can be usedfor this purpose. To be acceptable such measuring caps or closures mustbe comparatively inexpensive. This is related to the factor that suchclosures should be comparatively easy to manufacture and assemble. To beacceptable such measuring caps or closures must also provide a type ofclean-cut appearance, must be comparatively easy to utilize, and must bereliable in operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An objective of this invention is to providenew and improved measuringcaps and closures. More specifically thepresent invention is intended to provide measuring caps or closureswhich can be manufactured and assembled at a comparatively nominal cost,which are comparatively easy to utilize, which operate reliably andwhich provide what may be considered as a comparatively neat functionalappearance.

In accordance with this invention these objectives are achieved byproviding measuring caps, each of which includes a hollow cap bodyhaving open ends in communication with one another. A lid is provided onsuch a body so that this lid is capable of being rotated between an openposition exposing the top of the body and a closed position covering thetop. The lid includes a valve means or structure which rotates with itas it, the lid, is rotated between these two positions. The bodyincludes an internal dividing wall which divides the interior of the capbody into a measuring chamber and an entrance chamber. This dividingwall extends adjacent to the valve means so that in a closed position ofthe lid, these two chambers are in communication with one another and sothat in an open position of the lid, the two chambers are sealed off.from one another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The actual details of this invention aswell as the manners in which the invention achieves its objectives willbe apparent from a careful consideration of the remainder of thisspecification, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing inwhich:

FIG. I is an isometric view showing the use of a presently preferredembodiment or form of a measuring cap of this invention on a container;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the measuring cap as shown in FIG. I;

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 illustrating an aspect of theuse of the measuring cap shown in the preceding FIGS.;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the measuring cap illustratedwith its lid in an open position;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the measuring cap shown with the lid in anopen position as shown in FIG. 5.

The accompanying drawing is primarily intended to clearly illustrate forexplanatory purposes a presently preferred embodiment or form of themeasuring cap ,of this invention. It will be realized that the inventivefeatures of the cap shown may be easily utilized in other differentlyappearing measuring caps through the use or exercise of routineengineering engineering skill or ability.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawing there is shown ameasuring cap 10 which includes a cap body 12 and a cap lid 14. The capbody 12 has a generally cylindrical exterior 16 and an open top 18 andan open bottom 20. Within the interior of the cap body 12 there islocated a small offset internal flange 22. This flange 22 supports aninternal cylindrical wall 24 which extends adjacent to the plane of thebottom 20.

The flange 22 and the wall 24 define an annular internal cavity 26 whichis adapted to receive a neck (not shown) of a container such as thecontainer 28 shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing in phantom. The interior ofthe cap body 12 within the cavity 26 may be formed with conventionalthreads 30 to be used in securing the complete cap 10 in place on acontainer neclt. Other equivalent means for securing the measuring capmay of course be employed.

The interior of the cap body 12 is divided into an entrance chamber 32and a measuring chamber 34 by an internal dividing wall 36. Thisdividing wall 36 extends from the portion of the wall 24 adjacent to thebottom 20 to a comparatively short distance from the top 18. It islocated so as to extend completely across the inferior of the cap body12 and it is of an imperforate nature. This wall 36 terminates in anedge 38 which is straight.

The edge 38 is adapted to fit closely against the periphery of acylindrical valve body 40. This valve body 40 carries aligned trunnions42 which are rotatably supported in bearing openings 44 located on thebody 12 adjacent to the top 18. Each of the bearing openings 44 isprovided with restricted entrances 46 for purposes hereinafterdescribed. The valve body 40 includes a cutout or notch 48 and carriesthe lid 14 proper. If desired, the valve body 40 and the trunnion 42 maybe considered as part of this lid 14.

From the undersurface of the lid 14 there depends a small flange 50having a projecting lip 52. This flange 50 is adapted to fit closelyagainst the interior of the body 12 adjacent to the top 18 when the lid14 is in a closed position. The lip 52 engages the interior of the body12 in this position so as to form a seal therewith. Although it is notconsidered necessary, it is possible to locate a small groove 54 in theinterior of the body 12 to receive the lip 52 by temporary deformationof this lip, the flange 50 and the body 12.

The parts of the measuring cap 10 may be conveniently formed byconventional molding techniques at a comparatively nominal cost using asomewhat resilient material such as a series of common polyolefins. Bothlinear and nonlinear polyethylenemay be satisfactorily employed. Whenthe parts of the cap 10 are formed of such materials, the lid 14 may beassembled on the cap body 12 by merely locating it generally above itsultimate position as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing and thenby applying force to the trunnions 42 and/or adjacent portions of thelid 14 so as to pop the trunnions 42 past the restricted entrances 46into the bearing openings 44. As this occurs normally the entire lid 14will move to a position as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing. Atthis point the entire cap can be assembled on a container such as thecontainer 28.

During the use of the cap 10, this cap and the container attached to itis moved so that the cap is in an upside down orientation as indicatedin FIG. 4. Because of this position, material will move through theentrance chamber 32 and the notch 48 into the measuring chamber 34. Theamount of material which is moved in this manner will depend to alimited degree on the amount of air trapped in the measuring chamber 34.Normally it is considered that a sufficient, substantially uniformquantity of material for practical purposes will move into the measuringchamber 34 as the cap I0 is held upside down in this manner.

After such material is trapped in the measuring chamber 34, the cap 10is moved to a normal upright position as indicated in FIG. 2. Then thelid 14 is manually engaged so as to be rotated to a vertical position asshown in FIG. 5. In this position, the valve body 40 will fit againstthe edge 38 so as to close off the entrance chamber 34 through avalvelike action. Material exposed by this movement of the lid 14 maythen be removed from the cap or may be poured from the cap 10 withoutdanger of pouring out the entire contents of the container to which thecap is attached.

lclaim:

1. A measuring cap which includes:

a hollow cap body having an open top and an open bottom in communicationwith one another;

means located on said cap body for securing said cap to a container;

a lid rotatably mounted on said closure cap adjacent to said top, saidlid being capable of being rotated between an open position exposingsaid open top and a closed position covering said top;

said lid including a valve means located thereon, said valve meansextending into the interior of said closure cap;

said valve means being a cylinder having a notch formed therein;

a dividing wall located within the interior of said closure cap so as todivide the interior of said closure cap into an entrance chamber and ameasuring chamber; said dividing wall abutting against said valve meansso that said valve means closes off said entrance chamber when said lidis in said open position, said valve means allowing communicationbetween said chambers when said lid is in said closed position.

2. A measuring cap as claimed in claim 1 including: sealing means forforming a seal with said cap .body located on said lid.

3. A measuring cap as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said cap body and said lid are formed of a polyolefin material andincluding:

bearing openings formed on said cap body and trunnions formed with saidlid, said trunnions being capable of being snapped into said bearingopenings, said trunnions and bearings rotatably mounting said lid onsaid cap body.

4. A measuring cap as claimed in claim 3 including:

sealing means for forming a seal with said cap body located on said lid.

1. A measuring cap which includes: a hollow cap body having an open topand an open bottom in communication with one another; means located onsaid cap body for securing said cap to a container; a lid rotatablymounted on said closure cap adjacent to said top, said lid being capableof being rotated between an open position exposing said open top and aclosed position covering said top; said lid including a valve meanslocated thereon, said valve means extending into the interior of saidclosure cap; said valve means being a cylinder having a notch formedtherein; a dividing wall located within the interior of said closure capso as to divide the interior of said closure cap into an entrancechamber and a measuring chamber; said dividing wall abutting againstsaid valve means so that said valve means closes off said entrancechamber when said lid is in said open position, said valve meansallowing communication between said chambers when said lid is in saidclosed position.
 2. A measuring cap as claimed in claim 1 including:sealing means for forming a seal with said cap body located on said lid.3. A measuring cap as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said cap body and saidlid are formed of a polyolefin material and including: bearing openingsformed on said cap body and trunnions formed with said lid, saidtrunnions being capable of being snapped into said bearing openings,said trunnions and bearings rotatably mounting said lid on said capbody.
 4. A measuring cap as claimed in claim 3 including: sealing meansfor forming a seal with said cap body located on said lid.